Display device, and infrared transmission device and control method therefor

Abstract

Disclosed are a display device, and an infrared transmission device and a control method therefor. The disclosed infrared transmission device: determines whether a repeat event occurs, on the basis of the amount of request data stored in a buffer; and when a repeat event occurs, generates an infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event and transmits the infrared signal to a display device or an external electronic device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An infrared transmission device, comprising:
 a communicator receiving request data generated by an input device with a plurality of buttons; a buffer storing the request data; 
 a control circuit configured to determine that a repeat event occurs, based on an amount of the request data stored in the buffer; 
 a signal generator generating an infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event when the repeat event occurs; and 
 an infrared transmitter transmitting the infrared signal to an external electronic device, wherein: 
 the repeat event is an event in which a user continues to press a certain button, the plurality of buttons comprises two or more repeat buttons each configured to allow of a corresponding repeat operation, 
 the buffer comprises a plurality of buffer cells, 
 the control circuit determines that a repeat event of or to a first repeat button, out of the two or more repeat buttons, occurs only when request data corresponding to a press event of the first repeat button are stored in all the plurality of buffer cells, and 
 the signal generator generates an infrared signal corresponding to the determined repeat event of or to the first repeat button. 
 
     
     
       2. The infrared transmission device of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit determines that the repeat event is maintained when the request data are stored in all the plurality of buffer cells, after the infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event is transmitted, and the infrared transmitter maintains the transmission of the infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event. 
     
     
       3. The infrared transmission device of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit determines that the repeat event ends when no request data is stored in all the plurality of buffer cells, after the infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event is transmitted, and
 the infrared transmitter ends the transmission of the infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event. 
 
     
     
       4. The infrared transmission device of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit determines that the repeat event of or to the first repeat button is maintained, when the request data corresponding to the press event of the first repeat button are stored in all the plurality of buffer cells after the infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event of or to the first repeat button is transmitted, and
 the infrared transmitter maintains the transmission of the infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event of or to the first repeat button. 
 
     
     
       5. The infrared transmission device of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit determines that the repeat event of or to the first repeat button ends, when no request data corresponding to the press event of the first repeat button is stored in all the plurality of buffer cells, after the infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event of or to the first repeat button is transmitted, and
 the infrared transmitter ends the transmission of the infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event of or to the first repeat button. 
 
     
     
       6. The infrared transmission device of  claim 1 , further, comprising:
 a controller controlling an operation of the buffer,
 wherein the controller controls the buffer such that the request data stored in the buffer are all deleted when the repeat event of or to the first repeat button ends. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The infrared transmission device of  claim 6 , wherein the controller synchronizes time at which request data to be stored in the buffer are input with time at which the signal generator starts to generate an infrared signal. 
     
     
       8. The infrared transmission device of  claim 7 , wherein a time interval at which the request data are input to the buffer on a regular basis is less than the signal generator's processing time for generating an infrared signal. 
     
     
       9. The infrared transmission device of  claim 1 , wherein the external electronic device is a device connecting to a display device, and
 the input device is a device for controlling an operation of at least a portion/at least one of the external electronic device and the display device. 
 
     
     
       10. The infrared transmission device of  claim 9 , wherein the display device receives request data of the input device, and
 the communicator receives the request data transmitted from the display device. 
 
     
     
       11. The infrared transmission device of  claim 9 , wherein the two or more repeat buttons is a physical button or a virtual button. 
     
     
       12. The infrared transmission device of  claim 11 , wherein the input device is a remote controller, and
 the two or more repeat buttons comprises at least two of a channel button, a volume button and four direction key buttons. 
 
     
     
       13. The infrared transmission device of  claim 11 , wherein the input device is a keyboard, and
 the two or more repeat buttons comprises four direction key buttons. 
 
     
     
       14. The infrared transmission device of  claim 11 , wherein the input device is a mouse, and
 the two or more repeat buttons comprises a wheel button, a left button and a right button. 
 
     
     
       15. A display device, comprising:
 a communicator receiving request data generated by an input device with a plurality of buttons; a buffer storing the request data; 
 a control circuit determining that a repeat event occurs, based on an amount of the request data stored in the buffer; 
 a signal generator generating an infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event when the repeat event occurs; and 
 an infrared transmitter transmitting the infrared signal to an external electronic device, wherein: 
 the repeat event is an event in which a user continues to press a certain button, the plurality of buttons comprises two or more repeat buttons each configured to allow of a corresponding repeat operation, 
 the buffer comprises a plurality of buffer cells, 
 
       the control circuit determines that a repeat event of or to a first repeat button, out of the two or more repeat buttons, occurs only when request data corresponding to a press event of the first repeat button are stored in all the plurality of buffer cells, and
 the signal generator generates an infrared signal corresponding to the determined repeat event of or to the first repeat button. 
 
     
     
       16. A control method for an infrared transmission device, comprising:
 receiving request data, generated by an input device with a plurality of buttons, by a communicator; 
 storing the request data by a buffer;
 determining that a repeat event occurs by a control circuit, based on an amount of the request data stored in the buffer; 
 generating an infrared signal corresponding to the repeat event by a signal generator when the repeat event occurs; and 
 transmitting the infrared signal by an infrared transmitter to an external electronic device, wherein: 
 the repeat event is an event in which a user continues to press a certain button, the plurality of buttons comprises two or more repeat buttons each configured to allow of a corresponding repeat operation, 
 the buffer comprises a plurality of buffer cells, 
 the control circuit determines that a repeat event of or to a first repeat button, out of the two or more repeat buttons, occurs only when request data corresponding to a press event of the first repeat button are stored in all the plurality of buffer cells, and 
 the signal generator generates an infrared signal corresponding to the determined repeat event of or to the first repeat button.